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Bambusa ventricosa (Buddha's Belly Bamboo) - A clumping bamboo that grows to 12 and 15 feet tall with swollen nodes and bent culms that are bare near the base to expose the stems with a rounded belly look, in a way resembling the form of Buddha. Ultimate height depends on soil quality and irrigation practices. In poor, dry soil or otherwise confined conditions it will stay smaller, reaching only to around 6 feet tall.
Plant in full sun to light shade and irrigate occasionally. Has proven harden in our area to short duration temperatures down to 20-25° F. It is an interesting specimen bamboo used as an individual specimen for a focal point in the garden. Bambusa ventricosa is native to Vietnam and to Guangdong province in southern China. The name for the genus comes from the Dutch word 'bamboes' or 'bamboo' that was a modification of Malay word 'bambu' and the specific epithet is from the Latin words 'venter' meaning "belly" and 'osa" meaning "abundance" in reference to the swollen culm internodes.
We previously grew a form of Bambusa ventricosa that reached to 30 feet tall and had straighter culms that arched outward and this form is now often referred to as the Giant Form, but the form we now offer is shorter with more distinctly bulging culms and is sometimes called Dwarf Buddha Belly Bamboo, Wamin Bamboo or Vulgaris Bamboo.
The information displayed on this page about Bambusa ventricosa is based on our research conducted about this plant from books in our nursery library as well as from information that is provided by reliable online resources. We also have included our own observations made about it as it grew in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers when we had them in our nursery field. We also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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